Cthulhu Gloom

Cthulhu Gloom is a stand-alone card game that's also fully compatible with Gloom and its expansions. It introduces Story cards and Transformation cards.

From Dunwich to Innsmouth, from the halls of Miskatonic University to the Charles Dexter Ward at Arkham Sanitarium, trouble is in the air. The stars are almost right, and terrors from beyond space and time are beginning to break through. When Cthulhu rises, we're all doomed – but whose downfall will be the most entertaining?

In Cthulhu Gloom, you control a group of Lovecraftian protagonists and guide them down a path of horror and madness to an untimely death, while keeping your opponents happy, healthy, and annoyingly alive. While your characters Gibber With Ghouls and Learn Loathsome Lore to earn negative points, you'll encourage your opponents to be Analyzed by Alienists and to Just Forget About the Fungus to pile on positive points. When one group finally falls prey to the interdimensional doom that awaits us all, the player whose characters have suffered the most wins.

Cthulhu Gloom is printed on transparent plastic cards. Multiple Modifier cards can be played on top of the same Character card; since the cards are transparent, elements from previously played Modifier cards either show through or are obscured by those played above them. You can immediately and easily see the point value of every character, no matter how many Modifiers they have piled on.

One or more Story cards can be placed face up on the table at the start of the game; the first player to meet the conditions of a card – drawing the attention of The King in Yellow or heeding The Call of Cthulhu, for example – can claim it and gain the benefits it lists.

Transformation cards have ongoing effects that remain with a character throughout his life, along with a picture that replaces the character's original art with something hideous and slimy; when you've Felt Rather Fishy or been Minced by Mi-Go, the squamous results aren't easily forgotten!

User Reviews (4)

The thing that I love about Gloom is the creativity. Oddly enough, all of the horror added by the Cthulu theme makes it a bit difficult…. or maybe excessive… to add your own flair to the pain and suffering you are inflicting on your family. I think that this is a great version to play on Halloween, but I like to stick with the original for normal game night.

What I like:
1) If Gloom has gotten a little old, the new theme adds a little flair.
2) Story cards and transformations add another layer to game play. Works well if you already have the basics down.
3) Who isn’t looking for a good Halloween/horror game?

Game plays well, even with the same people however in order to keep it fresh it is better to play with a different group every time. It is slightly easier to talk a friend into playing a game about sad destruction then one might think. From the general gamer to the random friend plenty of people enjoy this game. I’m not sure if many grandmothers would enjoy this game however mine did, and asks to play when we visit.

I love gloom and this version is even better, all the Lovecraft based families and events add a neat twist to an already great game. I have played this game with my family over and over and it never gets old. Being a huge Lovecraft fan I enjoy the theme immensely. The art is grotesque and lovely! Anyone who likes card games like Fluxx or Munchkin or if you want to try something new, I highly recommend this game. This is also a must have game for any Lovecraft/Cthulhu fan. They just released an expansion, which I look forward to obtaining.

I consider this a gateway tabletop game for people who enjoy the topical Lovecraft, The Addams Family or any horror-inflected dark comedy.

It certainly has a unique physical aspect and the twist of losing to win suits the quirky flavor. Some folks I’ve introduced the game to are actually a little put off by the morbid notion of killing characters, mostly their own, which makes it a party game for peculiar guests, I suppose.